Parasitic plants have increased rates of molecular evolution across all three genomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Theoretical models and experimental evidence suggest that rates of molecular evolution could be raised in parasitic organisms compared to non-parasitic taxa. Parasitic plants provide an ideal test for these predictions, as there are at least a dozen independent origins of the parasitic lifestyle in angiosperms. Studies of a number of parasitic plant lineages have suggested faster rates of molecular evolution, but the results of some studies have been mixed. Comparative analysis of all parasitic plant lineages, including sequences from all three genomes, is needed to examine the generality of the relationship between rates of molecular evolution and parasitism in plants.

Results

We analysed DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial, nuclear and chloroplast genomes f

SUBMITTER: Bromham L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3694452 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature